Innovation with Mark Peter Davis Innovation, Startups & VC

On this week’s episode we have a very special guest join to talk about the future of mental wellbeing and hygiene. Zak Williams - son of the entertainer Robin Williams - shares how his journey has influenced the creation of his company PYM. PYM creates natural supplements with science-backed amino acids, vitamins and minerals to boost neurotransmitter health, an often overlooked part of mental health.
Research in nutritional psychiatry is gaining momentum, with organizations like Harvard Medical School and Stanford exploring the link between metabolic health and mental wellbeing. Zak's team at PYM has become educators and advocates, emphasizing the importance of connecting data environments to understand lifestyle factors' impact on mental health.
Big thanks to Zak for joining the pod and sharing his story!
Links:
Guest Links: PYMBooks Referenced: Brain Energy by Christoper PalmerFollow us on Twitter: @zakwilliams, @youcanpym, @mpd, @interplay

Welcome back to Innovation w/ Mark Peter Davis. After taking a few months off from the pod, we’re back at it. Here’s what’s covered on this week’s episode:
Mike Rogers shares insights on the current market dynamics and data indicating a possible upturn in the venture capital market. The discussion emphasizes the importance of pricing your startup appropriately during different funding rounds.Mike and MPD also discuss the growth stage and IPO market, including Instacart's potential IPO and its impact on the private market.Mike also shares some tips on how entrepreneurs can hit the ground running after the summer slow down.Phuong Ireland talks about the significance of crafting a clear and concise value proposition for startups and provides a tool to help define it.
Links:
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @MikeyjrogPodcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Summer is upon us and - as we do every year - we’ll be taking a little podcast break until mid-September, so this is the last episode for a couple of months.
Since this one will be the most recent ep for a while, we chose to focus on two important topics to help founders navigate the summer lull: summer fundraising tactics + useful parenting strategies for the entrepreneurs out there raising kids AND a company.
Have a great summer everyone and see you in September. As usual, if there’s anything we can do to help, please feel free to reach out to us via socials and/or engage with us at interplay.vc/engage.
Links:
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @MikeyjrogPodcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

This week I sit down with Adam Nathan, Cofounder and CEO of Almanac, a collaboration platform that helps remote teams work on the internet, with more structure, more transparency, and fewer meetings. 
Adam emphasizes that the debate between remote and office work is irrelevant because even before the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies were already operating online and utilizing tools like document editors, Slack, and Zoom. He refers to it as "internet work" and believes that remote work brings flexibility, focus, and improved productivity for employees. Adam argues that the transition to internet work is an inevitable force of change that cannot be reversed, despite some resistance from those who are invested in traditional office environments.
However, Adam also acknowledges that there are challenges to remote work. While remote teams offer benefits like global hiring and individual flexibility, there is a need for more structured and transparent workflows. Many teams still rely on traditional office mechanisms such as meetings and messages, which can overload calendars and hinder productivity. Adam suggests that successful remote teams work with more structure, transparency, and fewer meetings. He also addresses the importance of creating human connection and fostering synchronous collaboration in remote settings. By implementing structured best practices and thoughtful approaches, remote teams can overcome the cons associated with remote work and achieve effective collaboration.
Special thanks to Adam for joining the pod!
Links:
Follow us on Twitter: @adampnathan, @AlmanacDocs, @mpd, @interplay, Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

This week’s pod is a two segment episode with my partners Phuong Ireland and Mike Rogers.
As usual, Phuong shares some great startup advice. This week she shares valuable insights on team construction and the key factors to consider when making your first hires.
Mike and I then discuss the current state of AI and its hype cycle. There’s no question AI is here to stay, but we note that the initial wave of hype and investments in the field is subsiding. We chat about the challenges of AI reliability and the presence of hallucinations in AI platforms, emphasizing that these technologies are not yet fully trustworthy. Despite this, we believe in the long-term potential of AI and its future impact on various industries.
Links:
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog,Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

This week, Phuong and I discuss the importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for entrepreneurs. We emphasize the need to choose a limited number of KPIs to avoid analysis paralysis and prioritize actionable metrics. The primary KPI should align with the business model, such as revenue for most companies, and additional supporting metrics can provide a more comprehensive understanding of performance. They highlight the role of KPIs as a feedback mechanism to assess the effectiveness of strategies and suggest setting goals for the primary metric to drive growth. The episode emphasizes the value of being data-driven from the early stages of a startup and encourages entrepreneurs to start tracking KPIs as soon as possible.
Links:
Links: Interplay IncubatorFollow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplayPodcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn